Union says Canada Post won’t meet it ‘halfway’ on arbitration, prolonging deadlock

Canada Post trucks are seen behind a fence at a distribution centre in Montreal on Friday, Dec.13, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

OTTAWA — The union representing 55,000 postal employees says Canada Post is refusing to meet it “halfway” on arbitration, with talks stalled and the two sides still far apart.

In a release, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers says the Crown corporation is unwilling to collaborate on drafting the terms for an arbitrator to weigh and then hand down a deal.

The union says Canada Post instead wants to use a federally commissioned report that was “tilted” in favour of the employer as the basis for binding arbitration.

On Monday, Canada Post rejected the terms put forward by the union for that process, which Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu asked the parties to work on just five days earlier.

Canada Post spokeswoman Lisa Liu says the union has effectively refused to take heed of the report, which recommended major reforms to the 158-year-old institution, including more flexible routes and part-time weekend positions with similar pay rates and benefits.

The back-and-forth has left the two parties deadlocked, unable to find much common ground as the union remains in a legal strike position with all members under an overtime ban since May 23.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 10, 2025

The Canadian Press